


Inheritance

by Gwenore



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Changeling Jim Lake Jr, Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Romeo and Juliet References, Trollhunter Claire Nuñez
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenore/pseuds/Gwenore
Summary: Jim Lake Jr. never knew his father. On his sixteenth birthday however his father… or more precisely what his father is, would change the young teen’s life forever. His own life thrown into turmoil and danger, his history teacher offers guidance and to teach him how to fight the trolls who will now come for him… not to mention their champion. The trollhunter.





	1. Chapter 1

Jim had always really hated his birthday. It was always the one day out of the year that he wished that he could sleep through.

His sixteenth was no different.

It had admittedly not started to badly, with Toby coming over for breakfast and his mom having left a note… and not having attempted to cook him anything, luckily. His mom vowing that she would be home on time today and that they would watch a movie and have a good dinner together or simply order a pizza. Whatever he felt up for in the moment.

So as far as this had not really that bad.

What Jim did not know was that this would be his worst birthday to date.

It started slow. Just as he was starting to look at the blender wondering how it would taste. Why on earth would he eat a blender? He couldn’t eat a blender…?

Well… he guessed that was just some of those intrusive thoughts that one have from time to time. He did not tell Toby of course… bit hard to explain that he wanted to eat a blender. He just tried to stay a bit away from his blender.

Just in case.

The bike ride to school was uneventful… even if the bike did look rather appetizing as well. So far it was looking to be a rather normal day which would be over soon enough.

Right now he was sitting in history class, listening to Mr. Strickler drone on about… something. He was distracted, trying his best not to eat his pencil.

Behind him Steve was kicking his chair, all the while trying not to attract the teacher’s attention, as Strickler was the teacher with the least patience for his actions, and the teacher he most feared.

Jim bit his lip annoyed, a slight growl exiting his lips. Toby simply glanced over at him, sighing softly, knowing how much of a pain the ass Steve could be, but how much annoying he would be to deal with if  they confronted him. Like threatening to beat them up after school.

Jim knew this well too. But this day… it somehow angered him more than usual.

With one more kick to the back of his chair, Jim suddenly whipped around snarling at the other student, his eyes giving off a yellow glow as he clenched his fist.

“I swear… if you kick my seat one more time…”

“Mr. Lake,” the teacher’s voice caught the student’s attention, the glow fading as he faced the teacher, swallowing nervously. Steve sat frozen questioning what he had just seen.

The teacher then looked at the blond teenager with a huff.

“One more disturbance from you Mr. Palchuk and I will send you to the principal office,” the tone of the teacher’s voice challenged the young man to test that promise. Steve swallowed practically sinking into his chair.

Jim breathed heavily, grasping around his pen as he attempted to calm himself. Normally Steve’s actions would annoy him, but they had never been able to get to him like this.

As he glanced down at his hands however… they started to turn blue.

Not as in he was cold.

They were actually changing color.

What the hell was going on?!

He needed to get away. To hide until he could figure out what was going on with him today. Grabbing his bag, he stood up abruptly and practically rushed out of the classroom.

Toby swallowed, wishing to follow his friend, but the glance from the teachers made him slump down in his seat. He knew well what day it was and how difficult it tended to be for Jim. He just hoped that it would end well.

Just as the teenager practically ran out the door a girl with a blue stripe in her black hair entered, looking sheepishly up at the tall history teacher.

“I am sorry I am late, Mr. Strickler,” she said.

“Take your seat Miss Nuñez and try not to make a habit of it,” the man said dismissively, his green eyes not even glancing at her.

Instead he brushed his hand over Jim’s desk, deftly picking up something there, but not having it being noticed by the rest of the students as he continued his lecture.

Not paying attention to the words he was speaking he glanced down at the item in his hand.

A pencil.

Bitten in half.

 

Jim ran into the boy’s locker room bathroom where he looked into the mirrors, covering his lips as he attempted not to scream.

His skin was now a pale blue color, and as he watched himself he saw how his ears grew longer and pointed.

“Please stop!” he whimpered, but all he felt was a dull ache in his lower jaw forced his mouth opened as he watched two of his teeth lengthen into sharp tusks. Even this was not the end of the birthday’s boys torment as he felt a headache unlike any he had before.

The shock was almost enough to make him pass out when he observed two horns poke out from his black hair. Backing away in fear from his own reflection he caught a glance of his hands as he saw black claws growing.

“Young Atlas?”

In his terrified state he did not think about darting into one of the stalls as he stared in absolute fear as the teacher entered.

Strickler had to admit he was rather surprised when he saw the boy quite… changed. Still he let out a smile as he showed of the bitten pencil.

“Well… at least it wasn’t a fountain pen. I can speak from experience that they make a lot more mess…” he said as he observed the young man. Jim was still in a state of panic, tears starting to gather at the edges of his eyes.

“What is happening to me?!” he whimpered.

“Well… you are having your first change. Must admit this is rather rare,” Strickler said as he moved closer to observe the young man.

“My first… change… Strickler… what am I?” he pleaded.

“You are a changeling… or to be more precise, your father must have been one, as I suspect if your mother was one she would have explained this to you. Now… I am certain this must have come as a surprise for you…

“YOU THINK! I AM BLUE! I HAVE HORNS! AND FANGS!” the teen exclaimed.

“More like tusks… but the point is well taken… just… attempt to breathe. I cannot fully understand what you are going through, but… I can help you. Let us just… get to my office,” Strickler attempted to calm him down.

Jim snarled towards him slightly his eyes glowing, however the teacher remained unmoved.

“Yes… I know these moments can be quite… intense, just breathe,” he spoke gently as he reached out his hand, resting it gently on the boy’s shoulder. Feeling that weight on his shoulder Jim was able to breathe fully and dried his tears.

“Am I… am I ever going to be normal again?” Jim whispered, his eyes cast down.

“Normal is a bad word… but… you can have a normal life. You just need some… guidance,” Strickler looked down. “Let us just get to my office, I will get you some tea and… we will take it from there, young Atlas.”

Jim blinked slightly as he lifted his head to look in his teacher, before he gave a slow nod.

Strickler gently moved his arm over the teenagers shoulder, gently guiding him through the hallways, but as the forth period had already started the halls were luckily empty, Jim making certain to keep his collar high as to hide as much of his face as possible.

The teacher unlocked the office door, letting his student inside before he locked it again. Jim was still in shock as he kept staring at his hands, before lifting his trembling finger to his tusk, letting out a nervous whimper.

“So… you had no idea about your… heritage?” Strickler continued to observe his student. He had always had a soft spot for the young teen. It was clear he really cared for his mother, and what seemed like an unbreakable spirit. Not the most popular, but… just a good kid.

Even when they were speaking, Strickler had found a strange kinship with the young man. Right now that made more sense as he watched the young man looking quite a bit more trollish than before.

“No!” Jim exclaimed. “Why aren’t you freaking out about this?!”

“Well… I am a changeling myself. While surprised and I admit… crosses like yourself are rare, but… well I have heard of it before. Usually however they tend to…” Strickler voice faded. Jim’s face was filled with dread.

“What…?”

“Well… due to events in the past changelings are not… liked by trolls,” the changeling started.

“Trolls?” Jim swallowed.

“Yes… changelings are trolls who can take a human form. Cursed in a sense. This makes us impure. We were forced to align with the loosing side of a civil war among the trolls. It has been centuries since then, but the winning side never forgot our imagined betrayal. Crosses have less control over their change… at least to start with. This leaves them vulnerable and a lot of them do not know about trolls, even less of how to fight them. Well… I am certain you can imagine the outcome,” Strickler made as slight movement with his hand. Jim whimpered.

“I am going to be eaten by a troll!” he clutched his hands at the side of his face. Strickler shook his head quickly as he stepped closer.

“No. You will not,” Strickler moved towards him as he rested his hand on his shoulder once again.

Jim looked at him with a questioning glance on those blue eyes, his teacher grinning ever so slightly.

“Because I will teach you everything that I know.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strickler starts teaching Jim about changelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well… this took longer than expected… but it is fall now and with the rain my writing muses has finally woken from their summer imposed hibernation. hopefully it will not be this long before I update again.

Jim felt as if the world moving in slow motion before him, while he tried to wrap his mind around everything which had transpired this morning. Slowly he raised his brow before he rested his hand against his head startling slightly as he felt his horn under his fingers.

Strickler leaned against the desk allowing the teen to take it all in.

“So… you will teach me everything you know?” the young man seemed to finally get his words back.

“I promise,” Strickler nodded his head.

“How about you show me how to… NOT BE BLUE?!” Jim’s mind was still struggling to deal with all of this. Strickler rubbed his chin slightly as he thought.

“Well… I suppose that would be a good skill for you to learn… however… I must confess that it is something that comes natural for changelings so… that makes it more difficult…” the teacher pondered slightly. Jim simply continued to look at him, continuing to move his jaw slightly due to the tusks.

An idea came across those green eyes.

“You once told me you like to cook is that correct?” Strickler asked.

“Yeah… but… what does that have to do with anything?” Jim muttered confused.

“Humor me,” Strickler made a movement with his hand. Jim narrowed his eyes. “What is your favorite thing to cook?”

“Well… I suppose I have this recipe for spiced lamb cutlets…” he then murmured.

“Sounds delicious, now tell me in very detailed steps how you would make that,” Strickler stepped a bit closer. Jim was now almost certain that he was dreaming as none of this made sense for him.

Noticing that his student was hesitating, Strickler simply made a hand movement attempting to encourage the teenager.

Jim sighed softly, but nodded his head and started to recite the recipe in the greatest of details. Strickler listened closely and Jim found himself relaxing.

Just then a blue light enveloped the room as the teacher let out a low hum.

“And there we are,” he said. Jim looked down at his hands, finding them back to the way that they had been for sixteen years at this point. Soft, clawless… human.

“I DID IT! I am human again!” he insisted. Strickler chuckled softly and nodded.

“You did indeed,” he nodded. “And you doubted me.”

“But… how did it work? Why do reciting cooking recipes make me change?” Jim sputtered forth. Would anything this day actually make sense?!

“Well… the recipes themselves are not important. But it is something to calm you, to remind you of your human nature. I think in time it will come easier for you, but for now it is something which may help ground you…” Strickler spoke with a soft tone.

“However, this may mean that feelings which speak to your troll nature may bring out your… bluer form,” Strickler attempted to put it as gently as he could.

Jim shook his head.

“I don’t have a troll nature!” he insisted. Strickler let out a soft laugh.

“As much as you insist of that being the case… you do. This is a fact that you cannot deny, and when you accept it you will be able to control it. If you try to fight it, it will consume you. It may even tear at your human form,” Strickler warned him. Jim swallowed nervously, but nodded.

“So… what may… such feelings be?” Jim asked.

“Hm… feelings of aggression, fear and anger. It is a more primal and brutish state of being,” Strickler thought for a while. “It is… a far more…”

Strickler paused slightly.

“Just… try to remain calm. Delving into human activities may allow you to keep your human form. And… if you change into your troll form again…” he moved his fingers slightly.

“Just try to recite recipes… or anything that may help you keep human,” Strickler warned him. Jim took the warnings his teacher said, swallowing nervously.

“I… alright…” he nodded. “But… do you have a troll form too?”

Strickler nodded slowly.

“We all do. Some changelings choose to embrace their troll nature and treat their human form a way to hide among humans…” Strickler rolled his eyes.

“I assume that isn’t you?” Jim questioned.

“No… humans are annoying beings… but human life is comfortable… I also am having trouble getting along with beings that wish me dead,” Strickler moved his shoulder slightly, rubbing his right arm as if to soothe a pain there.

“I suppose that is easy to understand… they… they wish me dead too right?” Jim’s voice trembled a bit.

“They will wish to kill you on sight… should it be discovered that you are the son of a changeling,” Strickler once again warned him.

“But… I haven’t done anything to them, I am no threat,” Jim was quick to say.

“It does not matter to them. I suspect that most of them would go back to eating human flesh if they thought they could get away with it…” Strickler paused. “… then again I suppose there have been a lot of people going missing as of late…”

Jim could swear he felt his heart try to escape his throat. He knew well of the missing people… it had been all that the small town of Arcadia had been able to talk about for months at this point. People would not go out at night anymore and the police would constantly patrol the streets.

Most of the people going missing had been visitors or those frequenting the edge if the town, especially near the woods.

Councilwoman Nuñez had made several promises to catch the ones responsible, but nothing had come from it. Whispers had started that the town’s current government was not capable of keeping its citizens safe.

“You really think trolls are responsible?” Jim whispered.

“I am starting to doubt that a human could be capable of something like this. With such a small town with hardly any crime…” he paused. “Seems rather unlikely…”

“We have to do something!” he insisted, the older man simply shook his head.

“No. There is nothing we can do. The trolls outnumber us and well… while we do have a organization… a coalition of sorts… it is tenuous at best. Changelings always look after their own interests… and others only when it benefits them. It is how most of us have been able to survive,” Strickler leaned his head back, shifting his right arm slightly.

Jim was silent, looking down for a moment before he looked at his teacher again. Thinking back he tried to remember if there was a sign of his teacher having been… anything but a boring high school history teacher.

But…

He couldn’t really.

The teenager swallowed slightly, scratching the back of his neck.

“So… if all of that is true then… why would you help me?” Jim asked. Strickler lowered his head his head slightly letting out  a low chuckle.

“Well… I suppose I don’t have a good reason… other than the fact that…” Strickler paused slowly. “I know how hard it is to be on your own. And it would indeed be a shame if my favorite student were eaten by trolls.”

“Thank you very much Mr. Strickler,” Jim was still in disbelief, but… if he did not have Strickler he would be at such a loss. He did not dare to think of the alternative.

“No need to thank me,” Strickler said as he grabbed his block of sticky notes, writing down his number before handing it to Jim.

“I do believe that we should have… lessons in this new part of your life, but that is something that we can speak about tomorrow. For today… just attempt to relax. Attempt to enjoy what is left of your birthday,” he said as he handed the note to the teenager.

“Well… I suppose the rest of my birthday couldn’t get worse than this…” Jim took the note, making certain to keep it safe as he knew that he was going to need it.

Strickler remained silent for a while before he sighed.

“I know how difficult that it is for you, but… you are still Jim, remember that and do not let anyone tell you that you are less for simply who your father happened to be. That has nothing to do with who you are. You are Jim Lake Jr. Remember that. This does not change anything,” Strickler said as he reached out his hand and placed it on Jim’s shoulder, making certain that he was listening to the words which he was saying.

“Thank you Mr. Strickler,” Jim nodded, as he started to move towards the door.

“I will talk to you tomorrow, young Atlas,” the history teacher remained back as he watched him leave.

 

“So what was happened to you today?” Toby glanced over at his friend as they were walking with their bikes home from school. “I had to tell everyone you got sick.”

Jim remained silent for a while.

“That was what happened,” he then said, though his friend simply shook his head.

“Nah… I know you Jimbo, I know when you are lying. Something happened to you today,” Toby insisted.

Jim let out a long sigh, he should have known better than to try to lie to his best friend.

“I just…” he glanced down at his hand, seeing no sign of the claws which had adorned the tips of his fingers earlier in the day. It was so easy for him to imagine that this had not happened.

“I don’t really know myself Tobes… just…” Jim grabbed the handle of his bike tightly.

“What?” Toby stopped to look at him.

“I found something out about my dad today,” Jim finally said. It was not a lie after all. Toby fell silent.

“Oh…” he said as they continued to walk a couple of steps in silence.

“Are you going to be alright?” Toby finally asked as they got in view of their houses.

“Yeah… I will… I will talk to you later Tobes. Mom is bringing home pizza, I will call you alright?” Jim asked.

“As long as your mom isn’t making the pizza,” Toby said, knowing full well of the horrors that could come from the doctor’s cooking.

“Yeah, she has stopped trying to do that since I went on the camping trip and she had to cook for herself… she actually apologized for the attempts to cook in the past when I got home,” Jim chuckled.

“Well, at least she learned her lesson,” Toby let out a laugh before he started towards his own house.

“Later Jimbo,” he waved.

“Call you when pizza arrives!” Jim repeated.

“You better!” Toby said as Jim shook his head with a low chuckle, walking to his house as the sun was starting to set over Arcadia.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim’s birthday bad luck is not over yet.

Jim was getting himself ready for bed finally looking forward to his birthday to be over. While not ending too bad… his mother and him as well as Toby was eating pizza and watching a movie together.

He had tried his best not to think about what had happened earlier in the day.

Brushing his teeth in the mirror he found himself staring at his hand, feeling a need to make certain that they weren’t indeed turning blue.

But… luckily… they were the same hands which he had been looking at for sixteen years at this point.

He sighed.

What was his life going to be now? Would he have a normal life? What was he?

He knew that Strickler said that his father was a changeling… but what did that mean? Strickler had promised he would guide him.

Jim turned off the water.

At least Strickler being a teacher… that would mean he was able to have a normal life… right?

And… his father had been with his mother… so… that meant he could have a relationship… right?

But his father had left. Vanished as far as Jim knew… not that he had looked, but… had that to do with him being a changeling.

Jim shook his head, walking out of the bathroom wandering outside of his mother’s room.

Did she know? What his father was? What… he was?

He swallowed.

He could not tell her. But… what if she saw him… like that? He closed his eyes.

He turned away from his mother’s door and walked towards his own bedroom. Inside he fell to the bed as he gazed up to the ceiling.

His stomach was turning as all these thoughts would not leave him be. Slowly he sat himself up, hiding his head in his arms.

There was so many questions that was running through her head that it was just about driving him insane.

He needed answers.

He wondered for a moment if he should call Mr. Strickler. But what would he say? Admitting that he was terrified? That he couldn’t sleep?

He shook his head.

He sat himself up, breathing softly as he ran his hand through his hair, tugging slightly. Already he found himself missing his old life… the life he knew before this day.

Standing up he started to wander the room, shaking his head and stretching his arms.

“I hate this…” he muttered before he fell down on the bed.

The teenager did his best trying to fall asleep, but remained simply staring at his ceiling.

Time passed like that and he had fallen into an uneasy sleep before something stirred within him and he sat himself up, looking around nervously.

What… was there a sound outside?

Something instinctively made him practically crawl towards the window, poking his head above the window.

Outside there was a lumbering shade which wandered close to his house, smelling. Never in his life had the boy’s heart beat so quickly. Every fiber within him told him that he was in danger.

A troll.

He still did not know what a troll really was. But… he knew this was one. Instincts told him so.

What if it got closer? Could it smell him? Would he be eaten on his birthday?

He needed to get out of the house, get away. The last thing Jim wanted was for his mother to be in danger because of something that he had caused… even if that was just by existing.

He grabbed his phone and his teacher’s number… luckily he had remembered that, though he cursed himself for not having put it into his phone earlier because he was too lazy. Jim did not know if his teacher could do anything, but it wasn’t as if he could call the police about a troll. They would think he was insane. Jim wasn’t certain if he wasn’t, but he still was not tempted in being put in a mental hospital.

Slowly he took his coat over his shoulders and watching that the creature was not under his window before he slipped out the window and let himself fall to the ground below, having never had trouble jumping from tall heights.

Which… after today might make more sense than it did before.

Hearing the troll coming closer he did not have time to think about it as he ran towards the forest, desperately trying to dial Strickler’s number. The troll was closing in causing the teenager to run for his life.

This feeling and desperation running through his body and his heart beating faster and faster, Jim felt his body being… strange.

A feeling he had not felt since this… morning… in the school bathroom…

“No, no, NO! NOT NOW!” he shouted, but he saw that blue form filling the night air and he found himself not looking quite like himself.

“FUCK!” again he did not have much time to dwell on the situation as the troll was closing in on him as he set out running through the forest.

He was hiding against a large tree finishing dialing the number while he was struggling to breathe due to the fear.

However this intense fear coursing through it made his troll instincts take over and just as he raised his phone to call his teacher. Instead the taste of metal and plastic filled his mouth. Jim widened his eyes as he glanced down to see the pieces that was formally his phone fall into his hands.

“NO!” he let out a shout of desperation. How had he just eaten his phone? What the hell was he going to do now?

“Toby!” he exclaimed to himself.

He never had wanted anyone to see him like this, but… Toby had known him longer than most and if anyone could accept this… insanity… it would be him.

Jumping over the fence to his friend’s yard, it was very dark, but he proceeded to throw small rocks at the window in order to draw his attention.

The window was slowly opened and Jim could see Toby poke his head out.

“Jim…?” he asked confused, scratching his head slowly. “What are you…?”

“I need your phone!” Jim said as loud as he dared.

“What happened to your phone…? …wait… something seems different about you…” Toby hesitated for a moment.

“Look! I don’t have time! Just toss me your phone!” Jim was desperately looking over his shoulders, hoping that the troll would not come any closer.

“Look you are being even stranger than usual… but I will be right down…” Toby was clearly still sleepy as he vanished from the window before Jim could protest. Letting out a slight whimper he continued to look over his shoulder, pleading that Toby would hurry up and that the troll would not come.

Hearing Toby coming closer Jim froze, he was not actually ready for anyone seeing him like this.

“Jim… uh… do you have horns?” Toby stared at his friend with astonishment. Sure it looked like his friend… only… with horns… and tusks and… blue…?

Jim swallowed.

“Please do not freak out! I am still Jim! I promise!” he insisted, Toby just having to look up and down.

“Uh… alright… not freaking out… I mean… doing my best not too, not every day your friend turns… blue. Uh… was this why you were weird today at school?” Toby asked.

“Yeah… whole… turning blue got me a bit freaked out,” Jim scratched the back of his head.

“I can imagine… so… this has not happened before?” Toby tried to pinch himself to make certain this was not some sort of insane dream. It was not. Which was utterly insane.

“No. But I need to call, there is a troll out there and if I cannot ask Strickler what to do it is going to eat me!” Jim stepped closer. Toby’s eyes widened.

“Uh… you sure you haven’t lost it? And what is Strickler going to do? Lecture it to death?!” however he allowed his friend to take his phone.

“Look Strickler knows about these things, he is… sort of like me,” Jim explained as he was quick to dial in the number.

“So… our history teacher isn’t… human. Huh… you think I’d be more surprised about that…” Toby scratched his chin slightly.

Jim finally managed to get through and heard someone pick up, just as Toby started to poke him quickly to get his attention.

“Strickler?! There is a… what Toby? I need to-”

“TROLL!”


End file.
